"Clara? It's us. We just wanted to check on you," Riley's voice was gentle but firm.
For a long moment, Clara said nothing. The weight of everything made her hands tremble.
Finally, she opened the door, just a crack.
Without a word, the two women stepped inside, closing the gap between them. Riley wrapped Clara in a fierce hug, Sofia following suit. Clara's knees buckled, and she slid down to the floor, the tears she had held back breaking free.
"I wanted to close that chapter," Clara whispered through her sobs. "I wanted the memory of Ethan… and Cade… to just die. I thought I could forget everything. Forget my son and move on."
Her voice cracked, the pain raw and real. "But he came back. And now the wounds... they're fresh again."
Riley's voice was tight with anger. "That man should've stayed away. He had no right to open old wounds."
Sofia shook her head softly, stepping back slightly. "Maybe this is for the best, Clara. Maybe he's here to help you finally heal. Maybe he actually cares."
Clara looked up, eyes swollen and tired. "If he cared, he would've been there when I needed him. When I was eighteen, scared, alone... facing everything by myself."
Sofia's tone was gentle but insistent. "Maybe he didn't know. Maybe he had no idea."
Riley's gaze sharpened, her arms tightening protectively around Clara. "Why do you keep defending him, Sofia? After everything?"
Sofia's eyes unreadable, she met Riley's stare. "Because sometimes... people aren't what they seem. And sometimes... the past needs to be faced before you can move forward."